


Oh, He's A Pandora

by Marluna



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Romance, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23145874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marluna/pseuds/Marluna
Summary: "I'm saying you and me should date.""Um... I'm sorry, Jae hyung. I don't... I don't feel the same way.""Why not? It would be a win-win for both of us. You could fake date me for a month, and we could convince Junsoo and your family that we're dating too. Wait, did you think I meant like...actuallydating each other?""What was I supposed to think!?"
Relationships: Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Sungjin, Kim Wonpil/Park Jaehyung | Jae
Comments: 15
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

_Tuesday, March 26, 2020. 11:35 AM._

"You look troubled," Wonpil says as he puts his phone in his pocket. The taller male sitting beside him hums. Wonpil turns to him. "What's wrong, Jae hyung?" he asks.

Jae looks from his binder to the brunette. He contemplates whether or not to tell Wonpil. It's not like Wonpil can really help him out with the situation he's having. Or, maybe he can. Wonpil is pretty good at consolation, and it's not like this is the end of the world. But it still makes him feel bad. So he drops the pencil he's tapping against the desk and sits up.

"So, I was just studying with Younghyun and Nari. Right? And Nari was trying to flirt with me, but I like guys. I'm obviously not interested. So I brushed off her advances, you know, as you do with unwelcome flirting," Jae starts. As he speaks, Wonpil nods along. He has no idea who Nari is. But he totally gets what Jae is saying. Actually, he's in a bit of a similar situation himself. But Jae's not done yet so Wonpil gestures for him to continue. "And when we're done, Younghyun calls me _rude_! Can you believe that?"

"He said you were rude for rejecting her?" Wonpil asks, furrowing his eyebrows. It seemed like an odd thing to call someone rude for.

"Well... okay, maybe at the end, I did hint that she was better off flirting with someone that actually likes her-"

"So in other words you told her you'd never like her so she should stop flirting with you."

"Well- I mean- It wasn't that blunt. I'm not an asshole," Jae said. Wonpil nodded, gesturing again for Jae to finish his story. "Anyways, it just bothered me because he said at this rate I would never find anyone. He said, and I quote, I'm 'too insensitive to last more than a few weeks with someone'."

"I'm sure that's not true, hyung," Wonpil tried to assure him. To no avail, as Jae crossed his arms with a huff.

"Yeah, that's what I said too. And then I thought of all my exes. I really _haven't_ had a good, long lasting relationship. But I still want to prove him wrong. I know this is just my pride speaking, but I don't think I'm too insensitive for a good relationship at all. And... well, we had a bet," Jae continued.

"You guys bet on your love life?"

"Yes. Basically, if I can date someone for a month without them breaking up with me, then he's gonna buy me lunch for a month. But if I do get broken up with, then I buy him AND Sungjin lunch for a week. That's not even fair, Sungjin's not even a better!"

"Well, Sungjin hyung _is_ his boyfriend. So, actually, I can see why he would want to include him."

"But it's my money! I'm just a college student, I'm broke."

"I'm more concerned about the person you two are betting on. That's not fair to them. Do you even have a crush on anybody?" Wonpil asked. Jae shook his head. Of course, Wonpil knew this. When Jae liked a person, it was painfully obvious.

"No, but... I mean, I have a few people I wouldn't mind dating. Well, I'll figure it out. What about you? I mean, you look like you're having troubles as well," Jae pointed out. And Wonpil smiled a bit with a forced laugh.

"Me? I'm always good though," Wonpil said.

"Tell that to your smile. It's not reaching your eyes like it always does," Jae replied. Wonpil was surprised. Jae was a little more perceptive than he thought he was.

Wonpil also had to think about if he should share his troubles with Jae. On the one hand, he didn't think sharing this was a real issue. On the other, Wonpil didn't really like to think about the situation. But Jae had already figured him out, and he knew the older would not really let it go until his curiosity was satiated. "Okay. Well, it's nothing serious. Just, my parents want me to date this boy, Junsoo. He's the son of my dad's childhood friend, and our families are close. Junsoo likes me a lot, he always has. The first time he ever told me he liked me was at our 8th grade Valentine's Day dance," Wonpil explained.

"And let me guess, you don't like Junsoo?" Jae asked. "Or is that you two have already dated and things didn't work out?"

"The first one. Junsoo just isn't my type. Never has been, never will be. He's kind of a crybaby. And way too persistent. He doesn't understand that no means no," Wonpil replied. "He's always been that way, and he's a good friend! But I wouldn't date him. But since his family is such good friends with mine, my parents really want me to give him a chance. Just one date. But knowing Junsoo, he won't let it end there. Plus, I don't even like him. I don't want to date someone that genuinely likes me with no feelings on my part."

"So why do your parents want you to date him so bad?" Jae asked.

"Well, they don't. I have a feeling Junsoo is begging them to ask me. He's like a second son to them, so it makes sense that they would ask me for him, but it's just... annoying now, honestly. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad at them. But he always asks them why I can't date him. And they always tell me I have no real reason to say no. And they're right, I don't have a reason to not give him a chance," Wonpil said. "But that doesn't mean I want to or have to. At this point, I'm pretty sure Junsoo is harassing me, even if it's not his intention to," Wonpil adds.

"Hm. What if you were taken already?" Jae asked.

"Then they would probably stop asking me to date Junsoo," Wonpil answered. "But that's not going to happen any time soon."

"What if it does?"

"... What are you trying to say?" Wonpil asked.

"I'm saying you and me should date," Jae answered. He seemed pretty proud of his suggestion, but Wonpil wasn't so sure. Why was Jae even suggesting that? Was... Wonpil one of the people he wouldn't mind dating? Wonpil was under the impression that they were just friends, and he would prefer to keep it that way.

"Um... I'm sorry, Jae hyung. I don't... I don't feel the same way."

"Why not? It would be a win-win for both of us. You could fake date me for a month, and we could convince Junsoo and your family that we're dating too. But we don't have to if you don't want to," Jae replied. Wonpil was even more confused now. "Wait, did you think I meant like... _actually_ dating each other?"

"What was I supposed to think!?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Pil. No offense but you're kind of really not my type."

Wonpil was a little offended, mostly by the wording. "This is why Younghyun hyung says you can't stay with anyone! We're not even dating and _I_ want to break up with you."

"Fake date me and I'll give you the honors of ending the relationship in about a month?"

"So... we're going to date in order to get rid of our problems?" Wonpil asked. "But we're not really dating, we're just tricking everyone?"

"It sounds a little worse than it is when you put it like that but yes."

"You're literally cheating your bet with Younghyun for free lunch for a month," Wonpil pointed out.

"He never said it had to be a _real_ relationship. So are you in or not?"

"I guess so yeah," Wonpil says slowly, contemplating the pros and cons of the situation. The cons were not so bad, not on his end anyways. And Jae didn't seem to find his cons very bad either. So what was the problem then? "Okay, yeah. I'll do it."

"Cool. When should we start 'dating' then?" Jae asked, psyically adding air quotations.

"Why did you need to do air quotations?"

"Because last time you didn't get the message?"

"I- Never mind, I don't even want to _fake_ date you!"

"Have fun with Junsoo then."

"Wait, no! ... Maybe... next week?"

"April 2nd?"

"If that's okay with you."

"Yeah, that's perfect. Okay, as of next week then, you're officially my fake boyfriend. And I'm yours."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeee the chapter is short :(
> 
> The other ones will be probably be longer!

_Tuesday, April 2, 2020. 2:03 PM._

"So, how should we do this?" Wonpil asked as they made their way to the library table that had slowly but surely become the boys' meet up spot. They're walking up the stairs together when Wonpil asks. They just got out of their English class. Today is _the_ day. The day they tell their friends they're 'dating'.

"What do you mean?" Jae asked. He looks over at the younger. "Aren't we just gonna tell them?"

"Do you think they'll believe us if we approach them like we always do? Something has to be different," Wonpil replied. Jae hummed, the younger was right. They didn't need to change their dynamic completely, but they did at least a little bit. "But, and I mean no offense, I don't want to get too intimate with you if we're not actually dating," Wonpil added.

"The feeling's mutual," Jae responded. Upon reaching the third floor, they came to a stop. "Then what do you propose we do? We could... hug but you hug a lot of people casually," Jae mused as he tried to brainstorm an idea. Wonpil couldn't protest, Jae was telling the truth and Wonpil wasn't ashamed of it in the slightest.

"Let's hold hands then," Wonpil suggested after a moment. He held out his hand for Jae to take. A girl walked past them down the stairs, no doubt she had heard their conversation. Luckily, neither of the two knew her. She gave them a quick glance before continuing on her way, she posed no threat to them. "I don't hold hands with many people, and neither do you," Wonpil continued.

"Well... I guess that's fine," Jae said after a moment. He place his hand over Wonpil's and the shorter grinned at him. They lowered their hands to their normal position. Jae looked a little unsure about it still.

"You have to smile, Jae hyung, or they'll know something's up," Wonpil told him. Jae looked from their connected hands to Wonpil's face.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm just not used to..."

"Intimacy? Not even holding hands?" Wonpil asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Not everyone has cheesey and affectionate relationships, okay," Jae defended himself. Wonpil shrugged.

"Too bad, for you I guess. I _do_ always have cheesey and affectionate relationships, so I guess you just have to get used to it," Wonpil said.

Wonpil gave Jaehyung no time to protest. He pulled the older with him through the third floor doors and into the "study" area. It was meant for studying, but no one really studied on the third floor. It was the loudest floor, and it was more like a lounge than anything. People that genuinely wanted to study either went to the second floor or reserved a study group room.

Wonpil and Jae had been hanging out in the library for 2 years now, with their friends Younghyun, Dowoon, and Sungjin. Younghyun had invited Jae to hang out with him, his boyfriend Sungjin, and his boyfriend Sungjin's friend, Wonpil. Jae was a new student then, and so he had happily agreed. Dowoon had joined them last, invited by Wonpil because Jae is a bully and "SungBri", as Jae had dubbed them, made him feel lonely. Plus Dowoon is his childhood friend, but is a year younger than him. Dowoon has been with them for one year only. They did have a six friend, Junhyeok, but he had graduated before all of them. He was now too busy to keep in contact with them, and slowly but surely they stopped talking. But he was part of the group nonetheless.

Once the two finally reached the table, Wonpil stopped in front of them and smiled. "Hey guys!" Conveniently, two chairs next to each other were empty. There were six chairs usually, but today someone had taken one of the chairs to another table. Wonpil quickly plopped down in a seat, dragging Jae down with him. He scooted his seat to be closer to Jae's, who wondered why he was letting himself be pulled this way and that way.

At least Wonpil's hand holding idea bore fruit, the three other men eyeing them curiously. "Hello to you guys too," Younghyun said slowly.

"Since when do you guys hold hands?" Sungjin asked, quick to ask the question the other two had in mind.

Jae decides to stop letting Wonpil do all the work. It's his fake relationship too, after all. "Since we're dating, Sungjin," Jae said matter-of-factly. Sungjin was not expecting such a blunt answer, if his eyes widening was of any indication.

"You two are dating? I find that a little hard to believe," Dowoon says, crossing his arms. He looks between the two of them, as though looking for signs of lying. Wonpil is a good actor though, and Jae has a good poker face. "Especially because you never told me you liked Jae?" Dowoon adds, this is directed to Wonpil.

"Well, duh! He's our mutual friend. Knowing you, you'd probably tell him," Wonpil replies with a pout. "I can't believe you think _I_ would lie to you!" Wonpil exclaims, sounding and looking offended. Jae can't help laughing at this, giggles leaving his mouth because of how ironic that is. Wonpil most certainly is lying to him. Wonpil looks at Jae with a "hmph!" and smacks his arm. "Stupid boyfriend," he mumbles, releasing Jae's hand and making his way to move away.

Jae may not be a star actor, but he's in character now. So he grabs Wonpil's hand again with one hand, and wraps an arm around his torso with the other to keep him in place next to him. Wonpil looks up at him, visibly surprised. He's surprised too, so he lets his arm around Wonpil's torso loosen and eventually fall back to his side.

The two are broken out of their daze when Younghyun speaks up. "Okay, this is definitely an unexpected development, but I'm glad you two are... getting along now?"

"I mean, we never hated each other. Did we?" Jae asks Wonpil, who hums.

"Well, I definitely hated you."

"Wow, okay." Wonpil giggles.

"On second thought, weren't they always flirting like this?" Sungjin asked. Dowoon and Younghyun make sounds of agreement and Wonpil and Jaehyung are surprised.

"It was never flirting!" Wonpil exclaims. He looks at Jae. "Was it?"

"It was not! I really thought you were annoying!"

"I- Shut up, shut up! I swear, I'm going to break up with you right now!"

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"I can't believe you, Jae, already making your poor boyfriend suffer," Younghyun cut in. Wonpil nodded and let out a 'yeah!' of agreement. Jae rolled his eyes at that. "Are you sure you want to date him, Wonpillie? He's quite a heartbreaker," Younghyun said.

"I know," Wonpil said with an exaggerated, tired sounding sigh. "But I think I can handle it."


	3. Chapter 3

_Sunday, April 5, 2020. 1:31 PM._

"I'm so sorry, hyung. I really am. I tried to tell them it was too early since we'd just started dating but they didn't believe me at all," Wonpil apologized again for probably the fifth time in the past hour. He sounded genuinely sorry, so Jae couldn't really find it in him to make a joke of the situation.

Currently they were outside Wonpil's parents' house, sitting in Wonpil's red car. Wonpil had called Jae on Friday, saying his parents wanted to meet his 'boyfriend'. They were skeptical that Wonpil liked someone and never told them. Of course, they would be happy for Wonpil if it were true. And besides, they had to make sure his boyfriend was a good person. Wonpil is such a sweet, precious person, and he must be treated right. Even if it was on really short notice, Jae had agreed. After all, his half of the deal says that he should help Wonpil convince his family that he has a boyfriend. It's not like Jae had anything to do that day either.

"It's okay, I guess. True, this wasn't really the plan, but... Anyways, why does everyone think you're lying to them?" Jae asked. He was really, truly confused. Wonpil had never lied to him before, to his knowledge. He didn't seem like the type of person to lie for the heck of it. Wonpil actually seemed like a really good person, as far as Jae could tell. And they were pretty close friends, or so the older liked to think. "Are you the type that just tells everyone about your crushes?" Jae asked.

"No! Only some people. Like my sister, and Dowoonie, and Jinyoungie. Oh, and sometimes my mom an-" That explained it.

"So, basically everyone you know. Alright then." Jae couldn't lie, it was a little cute that he got so excited over a crush he just had to tell everyone. Not that Jae would _ever_ tell him that.

Wonpil pout at him, which only served to make him more cute. It was something that Jae had always noticed. Wonpil had always been really cute, ever since Jae first met him. "Well, I _guess_ so," Wonpil responded.

"Mm. So what's our story?" Jae asked. Wonpil tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Oh... Um... Well, I didn't really tell them one. I have a hard time lying to my parents-"

"But you were able to tell them that I'm your boyfriend?"

"Technically you are! Just... a fake one. As I was saying, I need you to make one up. I told them we would just tell them the story together," Wonpil explained.

Jae sighed and shook his head in faux disappointment. "The things I do for you," Jae said. "So, is that all I should know then?"

"Yeah, probably. My parents are usually really nice, so I'm sure that they won't cause you any trouble or be too hard on you. They're probably wondering where we are, though, so yes, let's go."

_Sunday, April 5, 2020. 1:43 PM._

"So you're _'Jaehyungie-hyung'_! Isn't he just like how Wonpil described?" Wonpil's mother asked Wonpil's father. Wonpil's face heated up in embarrassment and nervousness at the nickname. He _had_ in fact told his parents Jae's name was "Jaehyungie-hyung" more out of habit than anything else. He's had yet to call Jae this, though he thinks the name is cute. He's not sure if Jae would be comfortable with it, so he's always just called him "Jae". He looks over at Jae to gauge his reaction, and Jae looks at him with a raised brow. At least he doesn't look offended.

Wonpil clears his throat. "Just call him Jae, mom. He's more used to that," Wonpil says after his father makes a sound of agreement in response to his mother.

"Oh, really? So you two don't have pet names?" Wonpil's mother asked again.

"We've been dating for three days only," Wonpil explained. Although, he didn't foresee them getting pet names at all. "Anyways, we should sit down, right? You're not going to forget to invite your guests in, are you?" Wonpil asks, mostly to steer the conversation away from questions about their relationship dynamic.

"Oh, right, right. Come right this way. And don't forget to take off your shoes," Wonpil's mother says again, leading the three men to the living room. Jae looks around, the house is very neat and tidy. It's very homey, and there's a smell of something sweet in the air. It's a very comforting feeling, and a little nostalgic (maybe because he doesn't actually have any family of his own in Korea). It feels like a very safe and loving environment, so it's no wonder Wonpil turned out the way he did.

Jae's admiration comes to a cease when Wonpil's dad speaks to him. Jae feels the couch dip beside him. Wonpil, who keeps a bit of distance. "So, Jae. How long have you known Wonpil?" his father asked.

"Just two years. I met him through my friend, Younghyun. He sits at the same table as us at university, you see. Actually, Wonpil is one of the first people I met when I came here," Jae replied. They're not even really dating, but he's nervous. He feels Wonpil's father's gaze turn to a testing one, and he feels like he's at a job interview. Like he isn't allowed to miss one question, or else he risks being deemed unfit. Wonpil notices Jae's nervousness and grabs his hand. Jae is caught off guard, and looks down at their hands just as Wonpil gives it a gentle squeeze. Jae isn't sure why, but he feels a bit more confident, so he leaves Wonpil be.

"I see. You guys must be good friends with him if you've been sitting together for two years, huh?"

"Yeah. Younghyun's my best friend. He was really comfortable for me to talk to since when I first moved here, I wasn't exactly super fluent in Korean. He speaks English too, so it was nice. It reminded me of home," Jae replied.

"Oh? Where are you from then?"

"I lived in the United States before I came here," Jae responded. "California."

"Oh, I see. So you moved here and shortly after you met Wonpil. How long have you liked him for then?" Wonpil's father asked. Jae was not prepared for this question.

"A while now," Jae found himself saying without much thought. "Maybe about a year or so. He quickly became someone precious to me, even if I do tease him a lot. But I specifically remember thinking, I would like to date him around a year ago," Jae replied. And just for good measure, he elaborated. "There wasn't anything he particularly did. I just really like him. He's a good friend, and he's very compassionate. Even if he is a little too affectionate sometimes, I think he's very caring and very genuine, and I think that's one of the best things about him," Jae said, starting to ramble before he knew it. He caught himself when he glanced at Wonpil and saw actual stars in the younger's eyes. Wonpil was grinning at him, and he looked really happy. Jae wasn't lying about anything he said, he did like those things about Wonpil. That much was true, at least.

"Jae, do you really feel that way?" Wonpil asked. A slight pink hue covered Jae's cheeks and Wonpil grinned even more.

"Yeah, I really do. You're a good friend, Wonpil," Jae said.

"Awe, Jae! If only you were always this nice," Wonpil said.

"Is he mean to you?" Wonpil's mother asked.

"No! I mean, he teases me sometimes, but he's not like... you know, abusive," Wonpil responded, a little panicked. He hadn't meant to give that impression.

"Okay, that's good," his mother said, assured. Jae and Wonpil both let out breaths they hadn't even realized they were holding in. "So how did you two become boyfriends, Jae? I'm very curious. Wonpil refused to tell us yesterday," Wonpil's mother added.

"I... Well..." Jae hadn't had time to properly think of a story.

"Well?"

"I'm sorry, I just... It was in English class. Right before our class started. It's not a romantic place at all, I know. But how could I not when Wonpillie here was pouring his heart out to me?" Jae asked, squeezing Wonpil's hand for dramatic measure. Wonpil looked at him, surprised. That was not what happened at all! Jae was spilling his troubles to Wonpil! "I was content with just keeping our friendship, because I thought that was what he wanted. But then he told me that some Junsun-"

" _Junsoo_ ," Wonpil corrected him.

"Yeah, some Junsoo guy was trying to court him relentlessly and even got his family involved. And he told me he only wanted to be with me, but what could he do when his family was involved? And then I realized that I also wasn't content just being Wonpil's friend. So I told him I loved him too and things went from there," Jae continued.

"I remember it being the other way around, Jae. I remember you pouring your love out to me after I told you I might have to let Junsoo court me," Wonpil responded. Jae looked at Wonpil, who was pouting at him, looking a bit embarrassed. Jae giggled.

"Well, I think you're remembering wrong, love," Jae said. The pet name caught Wonpil off guard and caused his face to heat up just a bit more. He opened his mouth to protest, but found he was too embarrassed to fight back any more. He huffed and hid his face into a couch cushion, making Jae laugh more. At least Wonpil's parents were satisfied, moving on to another question for their poor son's sake.

_Sunday, April 5, 2020. 3:46 PM._

True to Wonpil's word, his parents were very nice. Jae actually got along very well with Wonpil's parents. They were very curious about him and they had all sorts of funny stories to tell about Wonpil. They even invited him to their family dinner on Saturday so he could also meet Wonpil's older sister. Feeling good, Jae had agreed. He felt like he had passed some life changing test.

"Hyung, don't let them get attached to you!" Wonpil exclaimed once they reached the car. Jae pulled his seatbelt on as Wonpil started the engine. Immediately music started to play. Not too loud, because Wonpil liked to talk while he drove. "We're going to break up in a month, don't let them think we're that serious," Wonpil added.

"I mean... Well, yes but would it make sense to meet your parents but not the older sister you love so much?" Jae asked. 

"It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not, I don't want to trick my parents _that_ much!"

"It'll be okay Wonpil. I'll just go to one. That'll probably be enough. And besides, maybe I could just say I'm busy until we break up. Then I won't have to go to any and they won't get attached," Jae said.

"Hm, yeah, I guess," Wonpil mumbled as he pulled out of the driveway, making sure to look left and right before backing out. "I just don't want this to get so deep it's hard for us to find a good enough reason for having broken up. It has be to natural, it has to make sense. Or else everyone will figure out that we weren't actually together."

"I get what you mean. But don't worry, Pil. Everything will be okay, okay?"

"Yeah. Everything will be okay."


	4. Chapter 4

_Monday, April 6, 2020. 7:27 AM._

A startled shout leaves Wonpil's lips as he hears the thud of a backpack next to him and he drops his phone. He had been minding his own business, waiting for his next class to start. He was scrolling down his Instagram feed, and wasn't surprised to see Jae posting every few minutes. He was in history class, and the professor he had didn't care about cell phones. Wonpil would know, he was the one who had suggested the professor to Jae. The class was easy, and the professor only made it easier. She wasn't too strict, but she knew when to call people out on their behavior respectfully.

It the midst of Wonpil's thoughts, someone sat next to him. A loud "It is true!?" told Wonpil all he needed to know and he internally sighed, not quite ready to deal with this. "Are you dating someone?" Junsoo asked as Wonpil turned to him.

"I'm guessing my parents told you?" Wonpil asked. He picked his phone up off of the concrete table's surface. He checked for any cracks on the screen, thankfully there were none. Once he was done checking on his phone, he glanced back up at the other man. "Yes, I'm dating someone now," Wonpil told him calmly. He couldn't find it in him to feel bad about it. Actually, he kind of found relief in directly rejecting Junsoo.

Junsoo went quiet, looking down at the gray table. His eyebrows were furrowed, his distress clear. Wonpil expected it to end at that, starting to scroll down his feed again when he noticed that Younghyun had added to his story (and so had Sungjin). Wonpil opened his mouth to change the topic, when Junsoo spoke up again.

"I can treat you better!" he exclaimed, holding his head high again. Wonpil mentally panicked upon seeing the determined look in Junsoo's eye. Junsoo was always a stubborn person who never knew how to back down. But that particular look meant extra trouble. "I can treat you better, and I'll prove it!"

"What? I'm sorry, but I'm not really interested in you like that," Wonpil said in vain.

"And I'm not interested in giving you up! I'll keep trying to prove myself until the day you're married! Until then, I'll never give up!" Junsoo was being loud and attracting stares. Thankfully there were not many people on campus at 7 in the morning, but there were still a few.

"Junsoo, please! Quiet down. And please respect my relationship," Wonpil said, pleadingly. He felt like he was reprimanding a child. It was one of the reasons Wonpil couldn't bring himself to date Junsoo. He just didn't see him as an adult, to put it simply.

"I can't, not if the other person isn't me. How do I know they're treating you right? No, that won't do. The only one for you is me," Junsoo said. He then dramatically clasped Wonpil's hands in his own, Wonpil's phone being grasped awkwardly by their hands. "Please, Wonpil, why can't you see that?"

"Um.... I..." Wonpil awkwardly said the words, unsure of how to politely say _'Fuck off I don't like you!!!!'_ without ruining the friendship. Although at this point, Wonpil was starting to wonder if there was any saving it at all. He wished he could tell Junsoo he liked him back, but it wouldn't be true. Just as Wonpil was going to end their friendship and potentially make things weird between their families, he saw a heaven sent demon. "Jae!" he called out.

Jae's gaze whipped from his phone to the two men and he rose an eyebrow. He walked over, not sure how he was supposed to be reading the situation. All he knew was that the guy that wasn't Wonpil looked like he was ready to murder Jae. For what, the poor man did not know. "Pil?"

Wonpil wrestled his hands out of Junsoo's grasp before scrambling over to Jae's side. He wrapped his arms around the entirety of the taller, confused male. "Jae, he won't leave me alone!" the shorter man exclaimed. Jae looked from Wonpil, to Junsoo, and then back to Wonpil.

As if Junsoo was not even there, Jae asked Wonpil "Who is he again?"

Junsoo is not as clueless as Jae, and he has an idea of who Jae is supposed to be. "I am Junsoo! And I am going to do everything in my power to take Wonpil from your nasty clutches and have him by my side instead!" Junsoo exclaimed, loudly still. And Jae thought he himself was noisy.

"I mean, I wouldn't call them _nasty_ ," Jae said in response to the clutches part. He really wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Now that he knew who Junsoo was, he knew that he was _supposed to_ be playing the role of protective boyfriend. And yet, this Junsoo guy is just too ridiculous. Jae can't really take him seriously. And even if he did, why would he need to worry when Wonpil clearly isn't interested? He has no reason to be protective, really. He looks at Wonpil, silently asking for some help.

Thankfully, Wonpil understands what Jae is silently communicating to him. Before Junsoo can make another loud comment, Wonpil speaks. "Junsoo, stop. If you don't leave me alone, Jae will _beat_ you up! Okay? He loves me so he's gonna beat you up because you keep flirting with me." Jae is absolutely flabbergasted because he most certainly is _not_ beating anyone up. Not only is that illegal, but Jae doesn't want to beat anyone up. It's a lot of work, and yeah Jae's capable of it. But that doesn't mean he _should_ do it.

"Now, wait a minute," Jae says, but is ignored. Wonpil continues and Junsoo has his full attention on Wonpil. He sometimes glances at Jae, extremely judgingly. He seems to believe Wonpil's claims more than Jae's own, for whatever reason.

"Jae has a black belt in Taekwondo, Junsoo! So stop flirting with me or he'll really, really hurt you!" Wonpil yelled. Now _he_ was attracting stares.

"i neVER SAID THAT!" Jae exclaimed, once again falling on deaf ears.

"Shit... I thought he was just a weaking but if he really has a black belt...," Junsoo started before trailing off, thinking to himself.

"Okay, the blackbelt part is true but-"

"So this 'Jae' would hurt me and get in the way of our love. How fiendish but... ah, I have no choice do I?"

" _plEasE, I won't hurt you!_ "

"Fine! I'll go for now. But just know, this is far from the end!" Junsoo exclaimed before grabbing his backpack and running off.

Jae watched the man run into the distance, not sure how to feel. People quickly moved on, but Jae was still processing just what had happened. Wonpil let go of him with a relieved sigh. He went back to his place at the table, definitely more at peace than he was when Jae had arrived.

"Thank you, hyung. I knew I could count on you," Wonpil said. He seemed very pleased by how things has turned out, and sure Jae could understand why. But it was at his own expense. Everyone watching knew his name and now saw him a brute. Sure, they would probably forget and it's not like he would suffer heavily from it. But that's not how he wanted be known, not even by random strangers for a quick second!

"Please tell me this is _not_ going to happen often," Jae said. Wonpil hummed and thought for a moment.

"Noooo...? It shouldn't. Me and Junsoo mostly text now, because we're both too busy with college and have no mutual friends, since Dowoon doesn't like him," Wonpil explained. "He's kind of scared of Dowoon actually," Wonpil added with a laugh, because Dowoon was honestly just a big softie.

"Well, good, because I am not beating him up," Jae said.

"Well, good, because I don't want you to?"

"Then why did you say that!?"

"He scares easy," Wonpil says simply with a shrug. He leans forward, holding his head up with his hands. "Anyways, consider me saved, my hero~ You can go about your morning now," Wonpil adds with a sing song tune. "Or, do you want a prize?"

"I'm certainly thinking I deserve one," Jae responded, crossing his arms.

Wonpil hums and sits back up. He pulls his bag to his lap and opens it, digging around. Jae watches curiously as the younger searches his bag earnestly. It doesn't take him long to find what he's looking for. But for one, Jae doesn't know why he brought it to school with him. And for two, he isn't sure if it was really meant for him or not.

It's a pretty simple design, really. It's just a metal band with a few beads around it. Jae takes it and looks it over, as though he isn't sure what to do with it. Wonpil is happy to help him figure it out, supplying a helpful "It's a bracelet."

"Yeah, I know it's a bracelet, but are you sure it's okay for me to have?" Jae asked. "I can't imagine why you're bringing it to school unless you intended to give it to someone."

"I was intending to give it to you, actually," Wonpil admitted with a shy smile. He avoided eye contact with Jae, instead opting to watch him shake it a bit. "I have one too! So, I was thinking, maybe if we had matching bracelets, it would help us out," Wonpil explained, holding up his own wrist. Jae looked from his wrist, to Wonpil's. Indeed, the bracelets were very similar. "And, well, I just... really like you, hyung. I know friendship bracelets are like, a tweenage girl thing, but I thought it could be nice. And it's not like you _have_ to wear it, but I think it would look really good on you. Unless it's not-"

"It's fine, I'll wear it," Jae answered, cutting Wonpil off. He slipped the bangle onto his wrist. Wonpil's eyes moved from Jae's slim wrists to finally his face.

"Hyung, you don't have to-"

"I know. I want to," Jae replied. He smiled before ruffling Wonpil's hair, to the younger man's displeasure. "Believe it or not, I like you too, Wonpillie. Wouldn't be fake dating you if I didn't," Jae said. It wasn't actually of much consolation, and it wasn't particularly meant just to make Wonpil feel better. Jae isn't actually sure why he said it. Maybe just a spur of the moment thing? Or maybe he had just gotten used to being Wonpil's "boyfriend", so he was being more honest with his feelings.

"Alright, I have a class to get to. I'll see you later," Jae said, taking his hand away from Wonpil's head. Wonpil let out a huff as he fixed his hair.

"Good, leave," Wonpil said. "I'll see you later, too, hyung. Don't forget to practice your protective boyfriend skills, they kinda suck." Jae shook his head at Wonpil, who smiled at the gesture. Then he was taking his leave and Wonpil was scrolling back down his feed.

He was a little surprised when, two minutes later, he sees a picture of himself from back when he had red hair a year and a half ago. It's captioned "This boy @prettypiri is mine and mine alone". And about 30 seconds after that he gets a dm asking if it was protective enough from user eajkarp. Wonpil might be able to lie to eajkarp, but he can't lie to himself. It did make his heart go doki doki just a little bit, even if eajkarp didn't actually mean it.


End file.
